Meegan Cares About Midlife

This week, I'm delving into the often uncharted territory of midlife and trauma. As women navigating menopause and beyond, we often encounter the complexity of managing our health during this transition. In this episode, I uncover the reemergence and effects of trauma in perimenopause, menopause, and midlife.

I share personal insights and research findings that shed light on how hormonal changes during perimenopause can intensify past traumas, leading to challenging emotional and psychological experiences.

The answer to this challenge is multilayered, and we are all unique in our needs, in this episode I offer practical advice on navigating the intersection of hormonal changes and trauma, while emphasizing the significance of validation, support for our physical well-being, and the potential for healing through this process.

Join me as we navigate this intricate aspect of the midlife journey, empowering each other to find vitality and confidence while addressing the impact of trauma in perimenopause and beyond.

Timestamp:

00:00 Supporting discernment in health choices through podcast.

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Join the waitlist for The Midlife Upgrade Course:

Please note: The content of this podcast does not substitute or constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. 

In this episode, we explore the unusual and unexpected fears that arise during perimenopause and postmenopause, drawing from conversations with other women and personal experience.

We cover common fears such as driving, flying, health, and mortality, explaining that these fears are a normal part of the menopause transition due to hormonal changes, and we discuss why they might get progressively worse in perimenopause.

I share strategies for managing these fears, including professional support, mindfulness, and medical treatments like HRT. Knowing what causes these fears to worsen in perimenopause helps manage them, and knowing that we are wired to get happier as each decade passes - especially once on the other side of postmenopause, helps to put these fears and anxieties in their place.

"Our goal in midlife is to navigate those physical symptoms well, to understand what's happening with our brain and to navigate that well with whatever support that we need so that we can step into this next phase of life, which can be incredibly empowering, incredibly vital and filled with so much meaning and purpose."

Don't miss out on this deep dive into the complexities of midlife fears and anxieties. Tune in to gain a better understanding of these common experiences and discover practical ways to navigate them with confidence. And remember, you're not alone in this journey. Let's navigate midlife together.

Timestamp:

00:00 Perimenopause and postmenopause fears: understanding and coping.

03:14 Increased anxiety and new fears during menopause.

08:26 Recognize anxiety-driven supplement search as ineffective.

12:21 Isolation may feel comforting, but seek support.

15:26 Navigating perimenopause and trauma impact on treatment.

19:59 Midlife anxieties are common but temporary. Seek help.

21:24 Postmenopause brings stabilization and increased vitality

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Join the waitlist for The Midlife Upgrade Course:

Please note: The content of this podcast does not substitute or constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. 

If you live in New Zealand and use HRT, you'll be aware there is a shortage, and with no quick solution in sight, I was grateful to speak with Rene Schliebs on the podcast this week.

Rene is a clinical nutritionist and medical herbalist with over 20 years of experience in women's health. She has a special interest in empowering women on their menopause journey. And what I loved about Rene is that she advocates for HRT to reduce symptoms in peri and post-menopause as well as supporting clients with natural medicine. 

The topic of our conversation this week is navigating medical treatment options to easily empower women to converse with their GP like a pro. 

We cover how to prepare for your GP appointment, the HRT options available in New Zealand, what to do if your needs are not being met, how to navigate the current HRT shortage in New Zealand, and what to do if you have pre-existing health conditions - hint they don't necessarily preclude you from benefitting from HRT.

Join us as we explore the increasing demand for HRT and the need for greater understanding and support for menopausal women's health needs. 

About Rene:

Rene Schliebs, a seasoned clinical nutritionist and medical herbalist, brings over two decades of expertise to her practice. Her professional journey intertwines seamlessly with her personal experiences, including struggles with fertility and the heartbreak of miscarriage. Through these challenges, Rene has honed her ability to offer personalised guidance to women navigating similar paths.

As she now traverses the terrain of menopause, Rene draws from her roles as both a professional and a working mother. Her deep understanding and empathy for women during perimenopause and menopause are evident in her approach.

With her guidance, you'll gain the knowledge and confidence needed to tackle this phase of life head-on.

Instagram: @reneschliebs.menopause.expert

Follow Meegan on Instagram here

Join the waitlist for The Midlife Upgrade Course:

Please note: The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider.

The emotional template we received growing up will have us swinging wildly between two polar emotional opposites. The first being emotional suppression, unconsciously walling off our emotions and keeping them hidden (or trying to), and the second leaves us at the whim and control of our emotional energy, which often leaves us a puddle on the floor and feeling like an emotional wreck, unable to balance our head and our heart.

This week, I'll be delving into emotional resilience, particularly during midlife and perimenopause. As we navigate this transformative stage of life, it's crucial to understand the impact of emotional conditioning on our well-being.

From societal cues to family dynamics, we've been taught to either suppress our emotions or be overwhelmed by them, both of which have profound effects on our physical and psychological health.

Join me as we unravel the complexities of emotional resilience and its connection to hormonal shifts during perimenopause.

I'll be sharing insights into how we can rewrite our emotional experiences and cultivate a healthier relationship with our emotional selves.

This phase of life presents an opportunity for deep internal change, paving the way for authentic confidence, emotional regulation, and empowered decision-making. 

Follow Meegan on Instagram here

Join the waitlist for The Midlife Upgrade Course:

Please note: The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider.

I've got such an incredible episode for you this week. Take your time to listen to it. It's a little longer than usual. It's actually come from an Instagram live with Justine Jetty. Now you may remember Justine from a previous podcast episode very recently. She's a nutrition and exercise coach, and she's an incredible force of inspiration.

Well, Justine interviews me and we have this fantastic, unmissable conversation all around limiting core beliefs, specifically the limiting belief that is, I am not enough and I am not good enough, which resides at the core of every single person I've worked with, including myself.

We discuss our challenges with our self-worth, confidence, our capacity to really show up in life in the way that we want to, as well as the connection of shame to this limiting belief of 'not good enough'.

Here are some key takeaways for you:

🔑 It's a Journey, Not About Perfection: Justine and I emphasize that the journey of healing and growth is not about achieving perfection. It's about acknowledging our vulnerabilities and embracing the process of transformation.

🔑 Managing Discomfort: We discussed the importance of not letting negative thoughts be in the "driver's seat" of our lives. Finding ways to manage and tolerate discomfort is crucial for personal development.

🔑 Training the Mind: Rather than relying solely on affirmations, we emphasize the value of training the mind through repetition. Addressing underlying subconscious beliefs is essential for true transformation and growth.

I encourage you to tune in to the full episode to explore these vital topics further and gain insights that can positively impact your journey to self-acceptance and empowerment. Let's continue to support each other in cultivating a mindset of resilience and growth.

Tune in now for an inspiring conversation that will leave you feeling empowered and ready to take on the world.

I've got such an incredible episode for you this week. Take your time to listen to it. It's a little longer than usual. It's actually come from an Instagram live with Justine Jetty. Now you may remember Justine from a previous podcast episode very recently. She's a nutrition and exercise coach, and she's an incredible force of inspiration.

Well, Justine interviews me and we have this fantastic, unmissable conversation all around limiting core beliefs, specifically the limiting belief that is, I am not enough and I am not good enough, which resides at the core of every single person I've worked with, including myself.

We discuss our challenges with our self-worth, confidence, our capacity to really show up in life in the way that we want to, as well as the connection of shame to this limiting belief of 'not good enough'.

Here are some key takeaways for you:

🔑 It's a Journey, Not About Perfection: Justine and I emphasize that the journey of healing and growth is not about achieving perfection. It's about acknowledging our vulnerabilities and embracing the process of transformation.

🔑 Managing Discomfort: We discussed the importance of not letting negative thoughts be in the "driver's seat" of our lives. Finding ways to manage and tolerate discomfort is crucial for personal development.

🔑 Training the Mind: Rather than relying solely on affirmations, we emphasize the value of training the mind through repetition. Addressing underlying subconscious beliefs is essential for true transformation and growth.

I encourage you to tune in to the full episode to explore these vital topics further and gain insights that can positively impact your journey to self-acceptance and empowerment. Let's continue to support each other in cultivating a mindset of resilience and growth.

Tune in now for an inspiring conversation that will leave you feeling empowered and ready to take on the world.

About Justine Jeddy

Follow Meegan on Instagram here

Join the waitlist for The Midlife Upgrade Course:

Please note: The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider.

Hey friends, welcome to the podcast. This week I'm interviewing Kim Hefner, a board-certified nurse practitioner specialising in midlife and menopausal women's health.

Kim is a fountain of wisdom, and in this episode, she shares her expertise on critical health issues including cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer's disease.

Kim discusses the crucial role of estrogen, hormone replacement therapy, and practical prevention strategies. Discover how understanding and managing menopause symptoms can significantly improve your quality of life and long-term health.

I enjoyed discussing with Kim about taking control of our health in midlife and beyond, the new research available to us, and she also helped to clear up some falsehoods about menopause and HRT.

Understand how estrogen affects various organs and tissues, the impact of its decline, and the benefits of hormone replacement therapy. Learn about early prevention measures and complementary therapies that can help manage symptoms and reduce disease risk.

I think it's important for us to be informed about the benefits and risks of HRT and complementary therapies in menopause, we have access to modern research and studies and can stay up to date with current thinking and protocols - this conversation with Kim serves as a helpful resource in that area.

Join me for this resourcing and super helpful conversation with Kim Heifner board-certified nurse practitioner.

About Kim:

Follow Meegan on Instagram here

Join the waitlist for The Midlife Upgrade Course:

Please note: The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider.

We discuss what core beliefs are, how they form, and how we can work with them to improve our lives.

Discover how adverse childhood experiences, attachment styles, inherited patterns, social conditioning, and trauma contribute to the formation of core beliefs.

Learn how core beliefs like "I'm not good enough" can obstruct our desires and impact our confidence. We delve into practical examples and share strategies to rewire these beliefs, leading to positive behavioural changes and enhanced well-being.

If you've been struggling with people-pleasing or self-doubt, this episode offers insights into understanding and transforming those limiting beliefs.

Join me for an enlightening conversation that promises to inspire and empower you on your midlife journey.

Follow Meegan on Instagram here

Join the waitlist for The Midlife Upgrade Course:

Please note: Nothing within this podcast constitutes medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider.

A woman's relationship to her body is incredibly complex, our body is appraised, viewed and judged from the day we are born. 

So it's no surprise that women find it challenging to cope with the physical changes that come with midlife on a psychological level.

"Midlife, particularly menopause transition, is the second highest at-risk time for women to develop eating disorders." 

My guest today is Emma Wright. Emma is a Body Freedom Coach who shares her own journey with disordered eating. She talks about how she overcame this challenge and completely transformed her relationship with her physical body, appearance, and overall wellbeing.

Emma addresses society's influence on women's perception of their bodies, the harm these perceptions cause as well as how these perceptions shift during menopause. She provides practical advice and valuable tools to help women feel comfortable in their bodies, irrespective of their stage in life. 

Emphasizing the importance of healthy boundaries and improved inner dialogue, the episode also shatters harmful societal perceptions of ‘brokenness'. The conversation further explores the link between midlife changes and eating disorders, reassuring women that positive change is possible and that well-being goes way beyond physical appearances.

Join this thought-provoking session with Emma Wright, as she shares her journey from battling an eating disorder to embracing body neutrality. From her motherhood-inspired quest to dispel body and food myths, to her strategies for cultivating a healthy body image, Emma's story is a beacon of inspiration for women navigating through similar struggles.

About Emma Wright:

I help women, leaders, and parents find freedom from intrusive thoughts about their bodies. I also seek to make the world kinder, safer, more inclusive and accessible to all bodies, not just the ones that look like mine.

Find out more about Emma here: https://www.emmawright.co.nz

Follow Meegan on Instagram here

Join the waitlist for The Midlife Upgrade Course:

Please note: Nothing within this podcast constitutes medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider.

In midlife, we often feel disempowered due to various factors such as symptoms of perimenopause, changing roles, and the burden of doing so much for others. Feeling lost during this phase is a common experience.

However, this is actually the MOST empowered time of your life to redefine who you are and how you show up in the world. And we will dive into how to go about it today on the podcast.

Let's challenge societal norms surrounding midlife and unveil the empowering process of self-discovery. This shift involves a transition from societal conditioning of appearance and value to a profound self-appreciation of our unique attributes and individual presentation to the world.

We explore the societal pressures that persist but also highlight the genuine change that starts WITHIN, impacting not just personal development but societal perceptions as well.

Midlife often comes with feelings of invisibility and diminished worth. Instead of succumbing to these cultural pressures, we're going to explore and redefine your value system from an external to an internal locus. Through this shift, we begin to center our value on who we genuinely are and what we uniquely offer the world.

And we venture into the upgraded opportunities available to us during this stage of life. Hormonal changes not only contribute to significant physiological transformations but also set the stage for accelerated personal development. Midlife is not the winding down phase it is often perceived to be; instead, it's a powerful launch pad for a life of meaningful change and growth.

Challenge societal expectations, embrace your wisdom, and liberate your genuine self because midlife is just the beginning of your most empowering journey yet!

Follow Meegan on Instagram here

Join the waitlist for The Midlife Upgrade Course:

Please note: Nothing within this podcast constitutes medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider.

Discover how discomfort can lead to growth, and how by embracing new behaviour and activities, you create a bigger life and prevent contraction and stagnation as you age. Tap into the power of the midlife shift, and start recreating yourself. Remember the thrilling question of adolescence - 'Who will I be in the world?' – and revive that quest in midlife. Replace your self-imposed labels, and commit to finding out what truly matters to you. Our task is to reevaluate and reshape our self-identity at this time, liberating ourselves from societal conditioning and labels.

Merge with the ever-evolving journey at midlife, understand the beauty of the 'undone-ness' of life, and discover your authentic, joyful, and passionate self. Explore the notion of death and rebirth within relationships, redefine your roles in life, and dare to step into the 'slipstream of nature'. Prepare yourself for this powerful new beginning, where you are free to choose and stay true to your path.

Join me in celebrating midlife as a phase full of potential for growth and transformation, not an ending, but a powerful beginning. This episode is not just a conversation, but an invitation to a more authentic and vibrant self in midlife and beyond.

Follow Meegan on Instagram here

Join the waitlist for The Midlife Upgrade Course:

Please note: Nothing within this podcast constitutes medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider.